13. Dog-Eat-Dog World

While Rexanne and Leslie had already shopped for school supplies, Brian physically needed to try on clothes. The boys had returned from Florida late Thursday night, leaving only Friday and the Labor Day weekend to do last-minute clothes shopping. Opting to avoid weekend crowds, on Friday Rexanne and Brian drove to the Lakewood Walmart where prices might hopefully be a tad more affordable.

Shopping for clothes can be a tedious task for teenagers, something Rexanne well understood. After already spending more than an hour on Brian’s shirts and pants, she guiltily asked Brian if he minded her trying on a few things for herself. He reluctantly agreed and crawled under a circular clothes rack to hide away while Rexanne headed to the fitting room.

From this secret vantage point, Brian enjoyed spying on the other shoppers without being noticed himself. His sanctuary was suddenly invaded when a kid barged through the low-hanging dresses and slammed into him. “Oops! Sorry, man,” said a scrawny boy with an extremely close crewcut, and a weird mole under his left eye.  But the kid was gone before Brian could tell him it was okay.

The boy’s mother was holding a shirt against her chest as she glanced into a mirror. She fished for the price tag dangling from the sleeve, took one fleeting glance, and then quickly hung it back on the rack with a sigh.

Also watching the woman was her son, Mr. Intruder. He waited for her to wander off to another rack, and then he attempted to shoplift the blouse on her behalf. Unfortunately, a security guard was observing the entire episode. Brian could see a train wreck about to happen, in slow motion.

The security officer came up to the boy and demanded that he open his backpack at the same time his mother came around to see her son being accosted by the guard. Brian reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and tossed it at the boy’s feet.

“Show me, son,” the guard barked. The boy’s face turned pale as his mother went on the offensive. Just then, Brian crawled out, stood tall, and confronted the cop. “Hey man, lay off. He’s got the money. He just dropped it on the floor, that’s all.” The guard was at once silenced. “Creep!” yelled Brian. “Estúpido,” she shouted.

Just at that moment, Rexanne appeared with a shirt draped over her arm. “Come on, Brian. I’m done.” Exiting checkout, Brian trailed after his mother to their car, where they stuffed the trunk with their spoils of war. Deep in their activities, neither Rexanne nor Brian noticed the watchful eyes of a mother and her son observing them through the dirty windows of a vintage Chevy Pinto.

If they had been more observant, they might have noticed the persistent presence of the Pinto tailing them. It trailed their route from Lakewood to Littleton, followed them to their apartment complex on Ken Caryl, and shadowed their every move until they reached the assigned parking space in front of Unit 106, Building A.

It was Tuesday, September 5, 2006. For students and teachers across Jefferson County, it was the start of a new school year. However, for Brian, Leslie, and their cheerful mother, it marked the commencement of a new life.

A mere two weeks prior, the first anniversary of Harry’s death went by with little attention, all thanks to the unanimous Dorfman decision to establish Colorado as their new home.

This choice triggered a series of late summer activities –packing up and selling the house in Florida, finding an apartment in Littleton, registering and shopping for school – the sheer magnitude of which effectively masked the otherwise solemn occasion.

Describing the anxiety on the first day of school as mere would be a vast understatement. Standing in line, Leslie attempted to count the red bricks on the building displaying “Ute Meadows Elementary School” in bold white letters. Feeling too shy to chat with the kids around her, the ten-year-old absentmindedly twirled her blonde ponytail and adjusted her polka-dot dress. Fifth grade. New school. Everyone was a stranger.

A mile away, Brian approached Deer Creek Middle School somewhat out of breath. Rexanne had wanted to carpool him, but Brian insisted on walking the short 1.5 miles from the apartment to the schoolyard. His anxiety level matched Leslie’s. Signs directed all students to the gymnasium where they were further queued, first by grade and then by name.

Ah, there it is, 7th grade, Brian murmured to himself. Finally, at the head of the queue, he found himself at a processing table. “Last name?” grunted a fleshy lady sporting a beehive hairdo, a memento of a more vibrant youth. Her raspy voice belied her nicotine addiction.

The initial nervousness on the first day proved to be a poor indicator of things to come. From every perspective, the kids were quickly and willingly adapting to their new surroundings.

Rexanne’s initial instinct to “get the hell out of Tampa” was undoubtedly the right decision, not just for the kids but for Rexanne herself. Anyone familiar with her during the Harry Days would easily notice a significant shift in her personality.

Now, she was a more attentive parent, providing comfort and encouragement to the kids. To those she encountered casually, she appeared more considerate and genuine compared to the self-indulgent Sexy Rexy of the Tampa days.

More astonishing than the transformation of Dorfman personalities was the impact their constant presence had on Jacob Leiverson. Throughout most of his adult life, Jake had embraced solitude – willingly!

Trusting people wasn’t his strong suit, and he might not even have been fond of them. Sure, he could be friendly in suitable circumstances. His innate instinct leaned towards being helpful, but only to a certain extent, not beyond that.

Truth be told, even now Jake didn’t feel any regret about letting the Dorfmans use his guesthouse for a short break in their travels. However, when they chose to stick around, it suddenly meant he’d be Uncle Jake every day! It would probably take a year or more for him to get comfortable in this ongoing role.

As the autumn of 2006 progressed, the outlook was optimistic. Academically, both youngsters excelled in their studies. They held a favorable opinion of their teachers, and their mother played an active role in assisting with homework and school projects. Socially, the art of making friends became increasingly effortless. However, the positive atmosphere took a turn on a chilly October day.

After just a week of walking to school, Brian realized how much easier it was to take the school bus, even if it meant waking up an hour earlier. The bus stop, conveniently located at the entrance to the apartment complex on Ken Caryl, seemed perfect.

Around fifteen students chatted in small groups near the street corner. In the background, the Hispanic boy from Walmart stood alone. Brian awkwardly leaned over the curb, trying to catch an early glimpse of the bus. As he did, an older boy pushed him into the street.

Brian jumped back to avoid an oncoming vehicle. A chant of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” erupted, and the boys formed a circle around Brian. The bully pushed him again, and this time Brian fell to the ground, his glasses flying off. Mocking laughter echoed as Brian struggled to his feet. “What’s the matter, four-eyes? Can’t see anything?”

The bully pushed Brian once more, causing him to fall back into the waiting arms of another bully. This time, Brian’s pants were pulled down, inciting jeers from the boys and giggles from the girls. Without his glasses, Brian could only vaguely see the shapes of his assailants.

Something snapped within Brian, and he began swinging wildly. His fist connected with the first bully’s face, and blood squirted from his nose. Meanwhile, the second bully was about to strike Brian with a heavy geography book when a twist of fate intervened.

The Hispanic boy, Carlos, rushed to Brian’s aid. He pulled the second bully away and delivered an experienced uppercut to his jaw. The second bully hit the ground with a thud, landing alongside the first bully, who was squirming in agony. Now on his feet, Brian looked around. Carlos handed him his glasses, offering a moment of unexpected support amid the chaos.

The bus journey to school remained unusually silent, which was understandable given the recent events. After the driver informed authorities, the four boys were taken to the school nurse for examination. Bully #1 had a broken nose, Bully #2 had a hairline fracture on his chin, and Brian had two broken knuckles. Surprisingly, Carlos was in good health.

Later that day, Brian and Carlos chose to walk home together after school. The challenges they faced in the morning became the foundation for a lasting friendship that would span years.

For completely different reasons, both anticipated the walks to and from school. Brian openly shared his life story, and Carlos appeared genuinely interested. However, the same couldn’t be said in reverse. Despite Brian framing various questions in different ways, he couldn’t get Carlos to reveal much about his past. Carlos wouldn’t even disclose where he lived.

The enigma surrounding Carlos motivated Brian to start keeping tabs on his newfound friend. Typically, both boys would walk to Building A, Unit 106 upon arriving home. Brian would go inside, assuming Carlos would head to his apartment. Or so he thought…

One afternoon, after bidding farewell and going into his house, Brian observed through the window as Carlos walked around the side of Building A. Intrigued, Brian quietly trailed Carlos, who navigated between buildings B, C, D, and E. Carlos reached the very back end of the property. Concealed behind a tree, Brian watched as Carlos straddled a chain-link fence at the property’s rear and vanished from sight.

The next day, Brian stepped up his surveillance. Knowing Carlos’s usual path, he circled the apartment complex and positioned himself where he could peer beyond the fence and the dirt berm that obstructed the view. Carlos’s route was quite remarkable. Brian trailed Carlos as he walked west on Meadows Drive, crossed Simms Street, and concluded his journey in the King Soopers parking lot.

What Brian witnessed next left him utterly shocked. Carlos pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked his mother’s car. This time, Brian paid closer attention to the vehicle, packed to the ceiling with clothes and small plastic bags. The thought crossed Brian’s mind – could Carlos be living in a car?

“Mom, I believe he’s living in a car with his mom,” Brian disclosed during dinner. Although Brian addressed his comment to Rexanne, his gaze was fixed on Uncle Jake who, after all, resided in a lavish five-bedroom house, several of which were unoccupied. Leslie remained silent, spooning mac and cheese into her mouth. Jake showed no reaction on his face.

“Maybe we can trick-or-treat with Carlos,” Leslie suggested. “He can stay with us overnight and go to school with Brian the next morning.” Rexanne felt Jake shooting a glance in her direction. Slowly, even reluctantly, he nodded his approval.

Over the next few weeks, Rexanne worked on Jake, advocating for Carlos and his mother, Sophia. She urged Jake to shelter them, “just long enough for me to find them temporary housing. The temperatures are starting to drop, Jake. We can’t just do nothing!” The anti-social side of Jake vehemently opposed the idea. However, the compassionate part of Jake had no choice but to agree.

While the combined efforts of Jake and Rexanne proved beneficial for Sophia and Carlos, they also had profound personal significance. “Do you realize the miracle that just occurred here, Jake?” Rexanne asked as they washed and dried the dishes at the kitchen sink. The kids in the guesthouse were busy with homework, allowing the adults to converse openly.

“I give. What do you mean?” Jake inquired.

“Back in Florida, both kids were merely surviving in a cocoon, tightly wrapped in their self-pity and selfishness. They hardly had a thought for me, let alone other kids,” she explained, turning to Jake. “Or strangers!” she added.

Some time ago, Paul, the family counselor, had suggested that introducing a degree of spirituality might be therapeutic for the Dorfman family. Specifically, he recommended trying out Mile Hi Church.

Rexanne agreed to consider it after discussing it with Jake. However, life has a way of disrupting our best-laid plans. It wasn’t until January 2007 that the four of them finally attended their first Mile Hi Sunday Service. And Jake, a man of his word, attended too.

Rexanne was immediately captivated. She resonated with Dr. Roger’s message and embraced the church’s mission statement to “serve as a spiritual beacon for personal empowerment and global enlightenment.” Rexanne wholeheartedly embraced these ideals.

For the kids, it took a bit longer, although not much. By February, they sought Rexanne’s permission to join the Mile Hi Youth Group, and she enthusiastically agreed. In April, Rexanne took her first Science of Mind class, seamlessly adapting to this New Age teaching.

Jake, on the contrary, missed the solitude of his prior life. So, when he urged them to be as actively involved in as many different programs as possible, he had a hidden agenda: more quiet time back on the ranch.

The school year concluded in June, and Brian and Leslie found themselves yearning for more interaction with kids their age. This led them to enroll in drama and choir classes at Mile Hi. Rexanne, too, enjoyed the social connections at the church. Moreover, she discovered a new intellectual and spiritual dimension that intrigued her. In late June, she became part of a Bible Study group.

By the summer of 2007, life had started to establish a comfortable new routine for everyone involved. The 2007-2008 school year marked further advancements for the children. In September, Brian was elected president of the Mile Hi Youth Group. At school, Leslie secured a spot on the volleyball team, while Brian joined both the football and track teams.